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FALCON GOLF
Fourth time is the charm!
Senior Grady Brame shoots a final round 68 to claim the Class 2A Golf Individual Medalist honors. TOURNAMENT PHOTO GALLERY.
HAMMOND—It has been a four year journey to the top for Grady Brame. The Saint Thomas senior finished
third in the state tourney as a freshman, eighth as a sophomore and second as
REACHING THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN—Senior Grady Brame stands a final time on the eighteenth green
after finishing his championship round of 68 to claim the Class 2A Individual Title at Beaver Creek
Golf Course on Thursday. |
junior. Thursday afternoon at
Beaver Creek Golf Course in Zachary, Louisiana Brame finished first to claim the Class 2A State Golf
Championship while leading his fellow Falcon linksters to a third place finish in the team competition.
“In the past years, I may have gotten a little impatient and not made a lot of putts,” said Falcon senior
Grady Brame. “This year, being a senior, that experience was my best weapon. I had more experience than anybody
else in my group and that was a huge advantage in having that.”
Despite facing some unexpected cooler weather on Wednesday, Brame set the pace the first
day of the tournament working the course for a three under 69 to take a four shot lead over Sam Burns of Calvary Baptist who fired a 73.
“I woke up that morning and got in the car and the temperature said 40 degrees,” Brame said. “It’s not something you expect
on May 4. I just tried to minimize my mistakes knowing that the wind and cold weather was going to do its on toll on the field.
Just like today, I just tried to keep the ball in front of me, minimize the big mistakes and that’s what I did.”
Conditions proved better on Thursday as did the competition with Burns and Dunham’s Adam Galliano
making a charge at Brame. Both would end up posting a 69, but Galliano posted a 30 on the front nine that challenged Brame’s
championship hopes. “He (Galliano) was just throwing darts at the hole and just kept making birdies,” Brame said of Galliano.
“I just tried to keep my head and
FINISHING STRONG—Saint Thomas senior Connor Taylor gives the “thumbs up” after reaching
the final hole of his round on Thursday. Taylor shot an 82 on Wednesday, but came back with a 76 on the final day
to help lead his team to a third place finish. |
make pars and birdies. He started making a couple of bogeys and we went in opposite ways.”
“All I knew is that I wanted 2-under on the front and 2-under on the back and if he beats me with a
64 or 63, then so be it,” Brame said. All I did was try to keep my head, hit the middle of the green and two putt
and try to minimize the big mistakes.”
In the end Brame would hit 12 of 18 fairways and stayed in control of the tournament to earn the
win. “My rhythm was probably better than it has ever been in any other tournament I have played,” Brame said. “The speed
of my putts and the rhythm in my swing was probably what did it.”
Brame was also steady on the greens knocking down much needed pars and collecting enough birdies to finish four under. “The speed of my putts was 100 times better than yesterday. That took a lot of pressure off the
rest of my game, knowing that wherever I put it on the green, it was like I was almost guaranteed to two putt. I just
knew my speed was on today.”
In the team competition, the Falcons ended regulation posting a 642 total to tie with Menard
for second, but lost in a playoff to claim third. Connor Taylor posted a 158 to finished second among his teammates,
while Casey Panepinto finished at 173, Scott Brame 174, and Blake Elliot 210.
“All five of our players really stepped up,” Brame said. “We stepped up as a team a lot and
finishing tied for second was beyond our expectations.”
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